Village Gamer

It’s a substantial shot in the arm and vote of confidence for these young startups. BDC Venture Capital has provided four companies that recently completed the program of Vancouver-based startup accelerator GrowLab with $150,000 each in seed funding, for a total commitment of $600,000. ePACT, KarmaHire, Procurify and Spacelist were all judged to be “venture-ready” by a joint BDC Venture Capital and GrowLab selection committee. This means they each developed a solid product that showed significant early traction and, most importantly, they are each led by a team of entrepreneurs who proved they were determined, capable and eager to take on the world. The companies were free to turn down the investment, but all four took up BDC Venture Capital’s offer. Read the rest of this entry »

With the tagline “It’s all around you,” Space unveiled a fresh new look and feel both on-air and online at the channel’s website, Space.ca, today. The rebranded elements, which include the new tagline and a new logo, can be seen on everything from signage to on-air promos, and was designed to reflect the programming strategy for the channel. Engaging and limitless in its potential use, the brand has been brought back to Earth, embracing the idea that everyday phenomenal moments and experiences can be all around you. Read the rest of this entry »

Tucows Inc. (NYSE AMEX:TCX, TSX:TC) has announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback program (the “Share Repurchase”) to repurchase from time to time up to $10 million of its common stock in the open market through the facilities of the NYSE AMEX Stock Exchange. The Share Repurchase will commence immediately and will terminate on February 28, 2014. All shares purchased by Tucows under the stock buyback program will be retired and returned to treasury. Read the rest of this entry »

With entrepreneurs accounting for 50% of employment in most G20 countries, celebrating and advocating for these innovative businesses is more important than ever before, Ernst & Young said today while launching the 20^th anniversary year of its Entrepreneur Of The Year program in Canada. The firm is calling on Canadians to nominate local entrepreneurs from across the country who demonstrate outstanding vision, leadership, financial success and social responsibility. Read the rest of this entry »

On March 12, FCAC will be participating in “2 Good 2 Be True” Day, during which Canadians will be encouraged to talk about fraud on Twitter using the #2good2Btrue hashtag and share tips for recognizing, reporting and stopping it. They can also share experiences they’ve had and scams they’re aware of. To educate the public about financial crimes and fraud, a one-hour forum on Twitter called “#Fraudchat” takes place every Thursday, from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. EST. This live online chat, moderated by the Financial Crimes Unit of the Toronto Police Service and the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO), seeks to educate and exchange ideas with the public about financial crimes and fraud through the use of social media. Read the rest of this entry »

SHOP.CA has announced the launch of SHOP.CA Travel, in partnership with TravelOnly Inc., one of the top-rated travel agencies in North America. Together, this partnership will bring an integrated online travel-booking engine to SHOP.CA, adding an exciting new category to SHOP.CA’s extensive online marketplace with bonus travel reward opportunities. Read the rest of this entry »

The top small businesses in B.C. were announced last night as the winners of the Successful You Awards Contest, hosted by Small Business BC. The winners proved their excellence in six categories over 170 other B.C. businesses during the course of a rigorous five-month contest. In order to be named among the best in B.C., the winners had to gain votes from the public to be shortlisted to the top ten, then submit an extended application detailing why they deserved to win. Once selected as a top five finalist, they then went on to face a panel of judges, pitching their cases as to why they should be named B.C.’s best. Read the rest of this entry »

Expedited bill payment processor TIO® Networks Corporation has announced the expansion of its services to First Data’s Money Network® Prepaid Service to include bill payment as well as the purchase of prepaid telecommunication services. TIO’s platform enables Money Network prepaid account holders to pay their bills online as well as purchase minutes for their prepaid mobile phones. Read the rest of this entry »

After a lacklustre November and December, Canadian entrepreneurs are feeling more optimistic in early 2013, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). The Business Barometer® index continued January’s upward trend by rising another half a point to 66.2 in February. Read the rest of this entry »

Best Buy Canada is launching its Electronics Take Back recycling program in Quebec. Beginning March 1, customers in Quebec can responsibly recycle their end-of-life electronics – including TVs, media players, monitors, computers and peripherals – at any local Best Buy store, up to a maximum of two items per day, no matter where they were originally purchased. Customers are asked to drop off their electronics for recycling at the Best Buy customer service desk during business hours. Read the rest of this entry »